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Did you wake up with a stiff neck? Is your neck sore or is it not moving as easily as it once did? If so, you will be glad to know that there are simple home remedies that can help you to alleviate your pain. If you find that is not enough, a physical therapist at Contact Physical Therapy can also help show you ways to alleviate the pain that accompanies your condition.

Sometimes getting a stiff neck is as simple as sleeping on it wrong. Maybe you woke up with it. Or, worse yet, maybe you did something to injure your neck that immediately caused the pain. Stiff neck symptoms are characterized by:

inability to turn neck all the way and/or without pain

having to turn the whole body to look to the side

may be accompanied by headaches, neck or shoulder pain and/or possibly arm pain

may be accompanied by pain when turning the neck

The main cause of a stiff neck is typically a strained muscle or soft tissue sprain. A stiff neck usually lasts up to 7 days, but what you do can determine if it stays away once it goes away. You can also do some things to help minimize your pain while you recover. The good news is that a physical therapist or some simple at home remedies may be able to help.

Home Remedies To Alleviate A Stiff Neck

Rest: rest for a couple days, but not longer than 1-2 so that your muscles don’t become weakened

Cold therapy: apply ice for the first 1-2 days to help get inflammation down

Heat therapy: use heat to instigate blood flow to the area to promote healing

Stretching: ask your physical therapist to show you some gentle stretches that can be done to help alleviate the pain and stiffness that comes along with a stiff neck

Get out and walk: walking can get blood and oxygen circulating throughout the body and can help to ease your condition.

If your stiff neck lasts more than a week or if you have more severe symptoms along with it (fever, nausea, vomiting) visit a doctor as these could be signs of a more serious condition.

Whether it is some simple stretching techniques to help alleviate the pain associated with a stiff neck or recover from another injury, the physical therapists at Contact Physical Therapy can help tailor a program that is right for you.

Patient Stories

"My physical therapist was not only knowledgable in all his work, but I enjoyed his company and how easy it was to understand what he wanted me to do and the reason for doing so. I would advise any family member or friend to go to Contact for any physical therapy needs!"
- Frances F.
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